Wow, it seems like Christo and Jeanne-Claude are like the Sean Penn and Madonna of the art world - at least for a few moments - as Newsday reports that the most famous public-art touting-and-building couple, plus their photographer Wolfgang Volz, tussled with a Newsday reporter and photographer:

Jeanne-Claude, whose saffron hair has evoked comparisons to the billowing bright sheets in Central Park, seemed to see red yesterday when a Newsday photographer tried to take the couple's picture in the park's northwest corner.

In the course of a few minutes, Jeanne-Claude lectured the photographer not to reproduce images of "The Gates" for profit, as some hawkers in the park have done, and Christo bristled when a Newsday reporter tried to direct a question to him alone.

Newsday adds that Volz stepped on the photographer's foot, but luckily the photographer wasn't injured. While Volz apologized, the Parks department said that couple has been "overwhelmed" by the attention they've received. Oh, please. Let's see, when you raise $21 million and install an amazing public art exhibit in Central Park, attention will be paid - they totally want to be rock stars. And Gothamist gives them props for that. Maybe they need to take notes from rockers and rappers and have a posse. Jeanne-Claude has emphasized that the pictures can't be sold for commercial purposes. Hello, underground The Gates photo market!

And Adam Kuban of Slice ran to Central Park in the wee hours to take pictures of The Gates in snow. His photos, including the one above, are at Flickr.